


the old stars die and the young stars burn / (but i don't really know this place)

by noxfelicis



Category: Beowulf (Poem)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, Alternate Universe - Space, Gen, Podfic Welcome, also alliteration, also if you want to write your own fic about skybeasts have at it, but like sci-fi lite, do i explain what skybeasts are?, it's all about that edge of civilization untamed worlds feel baby, lol no i do not no explanations for you today, loosely implied worldbuilding, sooooo very much alliteration
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-18
Updated: 2020-06-18
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:20:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,463
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24785278
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/noxfelicis/pseuds/noxfelicis
Summary: It's Beowulf, but in space!The year is AD 4600, and civilization has moved beyond Earth. Space exploration became space colonization. Planets became kingdoms, and kingdoms joined to form an empire. But others sought places beyond the scope of the empire, and as they populated distant realms, they lived and fought and died, unaffected for a time by the rise and fall of other worlds. Just as well – they had their own problems to deal with.The settlement on the planet Dunes is attacked nightly by a creature they refer to as the Nightstalker. Word of this spreads through the star system, and Wolf Cutter decides to come help.
Kudos: 1





	the old stars die and the young stars burn / (but i don't really know this place)

**Author's Note:**

> Title is a lyric from Lord Huron's Lonesome Dreams.

Wolf was preoccupied, preparing his ship to land when the transmission came in.

“It is considered common courtesy to identify oneself and request permission to land, especially with such a heavily armed starship. Who are you and what do you want with the Dunes?”

Wolf continued his preparations even as he formed an answer. “My name is Wolf Cutter, son of Taen Cutter, whose deeds you might have heard of. I've come because I hear you have a problem, and I'd like to help.”

A quiet moment passed – that is, if the shuddering of the ship's entry into Dunes' atmosphere could be considered quiet. Wolf noticed that the Dunes settlement's outposts far below had followed his ship's flight with their weapons, but no blasts were fired. The starship landed easily on the sand, ending what Wolf counted as one of his smoothest trips yet.

Another message came in on the same wave frequency as the first: “You may approach the settlement.”

He exited his ship, noting with dismay the dusting of sand on the sides, stirred up partly by his landing, partly by the constant winds. “That'll be fun to clean off,” he muttered, running his hand over the now-gritty hull. Wolf turned towards the outpost, and a guard came out to meet him on a sand-sled, its sail billowing. His face was hard to read in the dim light – even in the middle of the day, the star 14-Her wasn't very bright. So Wolf slowed his pace to a stroll, content to stretch his legs after the flight.

“Welcome to Dunes,” the guard said, pulling up beside Wolf. “Hop on.” They glided over the hills, the sound of the sand whooshing by almost drowned out by the rippling canvas sail. The guard cleared his throat and spoke over the noise. “You sure seem to be who you say you are, and we can use all the help we can get. I've already instructed the other guards to put up your ship for you. The days and nights might seem a bit long here: 20 terra-hours each.” They crested a dune and the settlement loomed back into view, its glistening domes of energy panels covered in scratches and dents. The guard closed the sail and the sled drifted to a stop, just in front of the gates. “I've got to get back, but you're not likely to get lost. Good luck.”

Wolf watched the guard head off before approaching the gate. It opened before him, and he stepped in. The settlement was dark and quiet. The once-ubiquitous whine of engines had faded to intermittent whirs. The lighting glowed dimly in most sections and flickered in others. The few people Wolf saw hurried from place to place, silent and intent on their work. No children anywhere. Wolf followed the corridor to the central control room, somewhat surprised at the ease of his entrance. The doors slid open and he glanced around the room, strangely comforted by the steadiness and brilliance of the light there.

Scattered around the room, various engineers, programmers, and mathematicians worked, each an invaluable part of keeping the settlement running. Upon Wolf's entrance, many glanced up at him from their desks before turning back to their work. A gray-bearded man rose from his chair in the center of the room. He was tall and broadly built, but the dark circles under his eyes made him look even older than Wolf knew him to be. When he spoke, everyone listened. “Well, if it isn't old Taen Cutter's son. I'd have known you even without the message announcing your arrival. Here to help us with the Nightstalker, I hope?”

Wolf grinned as he strode across the room to clasp his old friend's hand. “Came as soon as I heard. I've faced fearsome creatures and defeated deadly foes, and your Nightstalker is next, O Dune-lord.”

The so-named Dune-lord, Torhh Speer, gestured for Wolf to take a seat. Wolf noticed that nearly half the desks were unoccupied, that everyone avoided looking at the empty chairs gathering sand dust. Torhh also sat, the only one willing to acknowledge the gaps in the group. “The attacks cost us dearly, in both men and machines. The more that is destroyed, the less we can defend ourselves. But whatever weapons we have left are at your disposal.”

Wolf shook his head. “Rumor is the Nightstalker fights bare-handed, and so will I.”

Torhh shrugged. “So be it. For now, we feast.” At this, a little over half the men and women rose from their desks and followed Torhh through the doors on the far side of the room, into a dining hall. There, Torhh led Wolf to the seat of honor. A woman wound her way through the seated crowd, speaking to one, then another, pouring out drink from the pitcher she carried. Wolf watched her approach, wondering who she was.

“My wife, Malika,” Torhh said, pointing with pride. Their eyes met for a moment, and they exchanged a small smile. “Most wonderful woman in the universe.”

Wolf turned to face her as she stopped behind his chair. She spoke softly, saying, “I hear you have come to defeat the Nightstalker. Is this true, star-traveller?”

He answered in a louder voice, pitched to project his words to all in the room. “As sure as I sit here, I will stop the Nightstalker, or die trying.”

She inclined her head to him, and took her seat at Torhh's side, pleased with Wolf's reply. A man sitting two or three seats down seemed less impressed. “And how will you manage that? The same way you won the space-swimming race? Oh wait, you didn't win.”

Wolf stared him down, blue eyes unblinking. “Kleon. I am surprised that such tales have found their way here, but not that the truth of them was lost. For in this race you speak of, I seem to recall winning, and taking out a sky-beast or two as I went. And what are you known for? Other than mutiny, I mean.”

Kleon shifted in his seat, shame coloring his cheeks, and said nothing.

The evening wore on, filled with feasting and music. The Dunes-people allowed themselves to relax, to rest from the constant stress and fear brought on by the Nightstalker. At last, night arrived, and the men cleared the hall of tables and chairs to hang hammocks from the ceiling. Wolf, used to a day-period of 28 terra-hours, remained awake and alert as the other slipped into sleep. He sat in the dark by the door. Silence filled the settlement, more completely than before, and Wolf realized that the men had been loud at dinner to drive away the loneliness. Here in the colonies, they were surrounded by the silence of the unsettled, and the quiet dark threatened to take back what little ground they had claimed. Every day was fight, and every sound was a victory.`And yet their noise had summoned the Nightstalker.

Wolf watched the door open, saw a silent figure slip in. Tall and misshapen, the not-quite-man moved through the hammocks. It stopped next to his spot, groping in the air for his neck. Wolf rolled away and onto the floor, catching himself in a crouch. He sprang at the creature's knees, knocking it back a pace and setting the other hammocks swinging around him. It flailed about, trying to free its limbs from the tangled hammocks. With a sharp kick, it flung Wolf off. He tumbled to the floor.

Again he tackled it, grabbing its entangled arm and forcing it back. The creature growled, trying escape his grip. Wolf felt his fingers slipping on its strangely smooth skin. He realized such a skin was protection against laser blasts, but his blows weren't doing much good either. They fought through the night, crashing around the hall, dodging and diving, swiping and scrabbling, wrestling without rules. Wolf tried to pull its hair, but his hand found a mess of wires, welded into place. The creature was – at least in part – man-made.

At this, Wolf changed tactics. He reasoned the creature was weakest at its joints, particularly the shoulders, which had to be flexible for full range of motion. So, he latched onto its right upper arm and pulled. Such a shrieking and creaking as had never been heard sounded forth from the joint. The creature too screamed in pain, but Wolf held on. Light shone then through the skylight, illuminating the mess, the monster, and the man. Nightstalker, half-man, half-machine, shied away from the shining. With a wrench, Wolf ripped its arm loose.

It wailed as it stumbled away, desperate to escape. Wolf flung the arm aside and gave chase, but the creature, spurred on by pain, outdistanced him and disappeared into the dunes.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! My tumblr is peregrer. Leave a comment if you like, I could talk about Beowulf all day...  
> Fair warning though, I did write this back in 2015, so I maybe forgot some of my reasoning for the various name changes.


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